


The Glass Coffin

by Cokoliv



Category: Library of Ruina (Video Game), Lobotomy Corporation (Video Game), WonderLab (Webcomic)
Genre: Body Horror, I'm so tired but like. Man I might as well., Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29669355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cokoliv/pseuds/Cokoliv
Summary: "Broken hands are the only ones who know how to play a bottled-up mind and a bottled-up heart."F-05-201-C is a decorated crystalline and glass piano filled with multi-colored catfish, sitting in a room with no other objects in sight. Handprints riddle the surface from previous players. Only those who long for another are able to play.Lobotomy Corp Branch O-5681's Disciplinary Team seemed to be the worst team to have this abnormality given to. However, there was a chance to take this chance for something beautiful.
Relationships: Taii | Catt
Kudos: 11





	The Glass Coffin

_F, G, C..._

Small aquatically shaped bubbles of solidified water slipped from under the cover of a rusted, previously pristine steel piano. They swam momentarily through the air around the pale hair of the player, musician's eyes closed as they breathed slowly and focused on each individual keystroke with all of the care necessary to ensure a flawless performance. Occasional small orbs dripped upwards between the pristine, quartz pieces sitting under their white gloves. So quiet. Not even a noise slipped out loud as each note was played rougher, the space between moments even smaller, but each key hit a pounding noise in their head. A goldfish's orchestra.

Golden eyes watched the surface of the piano while they played, observing the pristine surface and letting their jaw roll just slightly in a vain attempt to relax. Irises travelled upwards, tilting to the figure of a deer resting over the cover. " _The Glass Coffin,_ " this Abnormality was called. A Teth. Though any other employee could likely handle a Teth as their first, second, or thirtieth work, the straw-pull set up by the Disciplinary Team Captain had dictated that this would be how they would have to spend thirty minutes straight playing. Apparently this had positive effects on the sanity of other employees by echoing within the hallways, but they couldn't tell. Hopefully, the description was true.

Rose had insisted so, smiling all the while while she explained how it worked. Maybe that was a longing assumption for something positive for a change. Taii sighed lightly, shaking their head. That didn't matter. Trusting it would help, their hands lifted lightly and kept playing to the guise of a professional- even letting themselves smile for once.

Their parents had allowed them to learn the light keystrokes needed to perform. _You may need to find work as a servant within a nest if our work ever falls through,_ soft words from their mother whispered through glass fawn lips and onto distracted ears.

Piano knowledge was rare. As music was valued more in some nests than others, most knowledge of how to play was squandered from the general populace. Only families could pass on what they knew, Taii's being one of the few which retained their knowledge strongly enough to pass it down to their youngest child. The now-disciplinary employee found themself lucky, knowing how many others they could comfort with even a simple melody. From Ella to Beebi, Taii was sure that they could help anyone smile. Maybe even Catt.

Captain Catt. Were they listening to this? Maybe they were. Maybe they liked it so much that they smiled sincerely, like when they stood with those were comfortable with, and maybe they couldn't help stopping nearby to listen. But maybe-

" ~~ _Are you waiting for your Prince, too?_~~ "

Their fingers almost slipped onto an incorrect key, eyes widening somewhat in astonishment at being spoken back to. None of the records mentioned that this Abnormality spoke. Though.. it didn't, they realized. This was _telepathy!_ Focus wavering, the careful worker had to swallow as to not slip up and cause unnecessary diminishing in the benefits provided to others. "No.. I'm not, I'm sorry," Taii replied after a breath of assurance to their own work. This was only a curious abnormality. Teth or not, it held a sense of danger for any unprepared abnormality, but there wasn't any sense in panicking. Panic only made them latch on for a way to punish those who used them.

" ~~ _You're a terrible **liar** ,_~~" windchimes of a voice accused through the ripples of catfish churning slowly under the surface.

"I'm not lying!" Taii snapped back in a voice holding a defensiveness that surprised them. They closed their eyes for a moment, hesitating over the keys. "I'm not. I'm here to help out everyone at the facility because I want them to be safe, that's all."

If such a thing as humor could be found in the sound of water churning through glass, the echoing ring it created could only be described as such. " ~~ _I can hear the ripple of hope in your head. Why are you lying to me?_~~ "

Salt. The mineralistic taste rose up from the back of the employee's throat, Taii's eyes widening as they coughed up a small puddle of salt water. _No, no, no-_ They ripped their hands away from they keyboard, letting their gloves slide off from the very slight spreading of crystalline that had begun to grow upwards undetected. "I don't know what you want me to say," Taii managed to reply in a hoarse tone, legs shaking as they forced their body to back away. "Please, I'm not lying. I don't know what you want me to tell you, but I can't say anything but the truth."

" _ **Liar,**_ " spoke a much, much clearer voice. _Crack,_ the body of the fawn began to crack and take shape through the glass below. " _ **You're waiting for a prince, and your rescuer will have to come to me.**_ "

Within moments, their hands gripped onto their sleeves to try and escape through the door. There was only so much that they could risk their life for, and a Teth incapable of escaping its containment was not one. The slow dripping of salt water and calcification of scales beginning to form along the back of their hands could only be brushed and scratched away in desperation as the containment room's door was shoved open with all the force of a scared bird darting from a shotgun.

" **LIAR,** " called the piano into the ringing of their ears.

" **WHERE ARE THEY.** "

And yet there was no noise from within containment, only the shifting of position present in the figurine as Taii shoved their way out and slammed the door, hurrying down the hall in a blatant and apparent panic with their hands continuing to pull small scales feathering at their skin, blood forming along where they had been. A loud noise had touched their ears, but they heard nothing, not even the calling of a loud voice over the loudspeakers. All they knew was that they had to get to a central area and ask for help.

They needed help, calling out desperately in a pleading voice; "PLEASE! Anyone! Help! I need medical attention!" But nobody responded. Where was everyone? Was there a break-out? Was there an issue? Taii's battered and trembling hands reached instinctively for the large metal hairpin used as an EGO weapon resting under their overcoat.

How much they struggled to fiddle under cloth with their hands now laced with somewhat glass scales was more than apparent, fingers bent in strain, and yet they continued to search in hopes of being able to do _something_ before the scales spread further. Whether it would take them over or not, they had to protect everyone from what was causing the blaring of the loudspeaker. Whatever it was, they could hold back the water still gurgling up from the back of their throat. The burning within their lungs, the bubbling of melody still present in their ears, it.. was nothing, for now. They could hold it back.

"Where is the break out?! I'm on my wa- _UACK_ ―!!" The brunt force of a very slightly heeled shoe planting itself directly against Taii's chest knocked them down within less than a second, their head hitting hard tiles and their eyes' focus fading before slowly settling on the gold rim of metal hovering like a still pendulum over the soft and fearful irises watching. Silent, they swallowed down a small forming of water and gazed up slow, steadily upwards to the outline blocking what humming lights failed to illuminate around a familiar but blurry silhouette. The metal rose before the employee could speak in objection, but they let themselves close their eyes and turn away in fear. _Why? Why would they get attacked? Was-_

..oh. Oh, no. The alarm was for them. They were the break out. The scales, the water, this.. was _condemning_. All that was left was to breathe and take what fate forced in stride.

No matter how scared they were. No matter the faint tears forming.

Yet, the assailant _hesitated_.

Slowly allowing themselves to open their eyes again, Taii had started to look up before a hand grabbed onto their shoulder and yanked them up onto their feet. They stumbled, a hand reaching around their body to hold them up. A surprisingly comforting though cold voice murmured in a tone under their own breath; "The Glass Coffin wasn't a Teth. Catt got the wrong file." Had it not been such a dangerous moment, the pink-haired figure may have laughed.

They closed their eyes in relief, instead. Their body had begun to somewhat give out from exhaustion. It seemed the kick had been enough to knock what water sat in their lungs onto the floor, but the torn up hands now dangling limply apart and near drowning could make any adrenaline-wracked body want to collapse. "Did you like it, at least? My performance?"

Even Catt seemed to take a moment, looking ahead and forcing themself to pull Taii along without much discontent this time. As long as nobody remarked, that is. They had liked the performance, though by the time they wanted to reply, only a sleeping body would have heard.


End file.
